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How far is the Earth from the Sun?

In: Astronomy, Stars, Planet Earth

Answer:

The exact distance between Earth and the Sun varies with its position in its orbit, which is elliptical. The average distance (the mean distance) between the Earth and the Sun is about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles).

The average distance from the Earth to the Sun is also called 1 astronomical unit (or AU). This is established as 149, 597, 870.7 kilometers (92,955,887.6 miles).

Aphelion (when the Earth is the farthest from the Sun) occurs around the first week of July. The distance is about 152 million km (94.4 million miles).
Perihelion (when the Earth is closest to the Sun) occurs in the first week of January. The distance is about 147 million km (91.3 million miles).

Although the Earth is closer to the Sun during "summer" in the Southern Hemisphere, the temperatures are actually warmer during the "summer" in the Northern Hemisphere. This is mainly due to the larger land areas in the Northern Hemisphere, which can increase in temperature more than water areas (the Southern Hemisphere is mostly oceans).
(see related question for comparative values of the distance)

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